Secure processing unit systems and methods

ABSTRACT

A hardware Secure Processing Unit (SPU) is described that can perform both security functions and other information appliance functions using the same set of hardware resources. Because the additional hardware required to support security functions is a relatively small fraction of the overall device hardware, this type of SPU can be competitive with ordinary non-secure CPUs or microcontrollers that perform the same functions. A set of minimal initialization and management hardware and software is added to, e.g., a standard CPU/microcontroller. The additional hardware and/or software creates an SPU environment and performs the functions needed to virtualize the SPU&#39;s hardware resources so that they can be shared between security functions and other functions performed by the same CPU.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This is a continuation application of U.S. application Ser. No.11/528,752, filed Sep. 27, 2006, now U.S Pat. No. 7,430,585, which is acontinuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/643,630, filed Aug. 21,2000, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,124,170, which claims the benefit of U.S.Provisional Application No. 60/150,126, entitled “Secure Processing UnitSystems and Methods,” filed Aug. 20, 1999, which is hereby incorporatedby reference in its entirety.

COPYRIGHT AUTHORIZATION

A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains materialthat is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has noobjection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent documentor the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and TrademarkOffice patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyrightrights whatsoever.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to systems and methods forinformation and data processing. More specifically, the presentinvention relates to systems and methods for creating and operating asecure processing unit and/or a secure processing environment.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

To create a computing system (e.g., an information appliance) with ahigh degree of security, the core computations, and particularly thoseconcerned with security, privacy, information integrity, financialtransactions, and the like, need to be performed in a stronglytamper-resistant environment, such as the Secure Processing Unit (“SPU”)described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,892,900, entitled “Systems and Methods forSecure Transaction Management and Electronic Rights Protection,” issuedon Apr. 6, 1999 (“the '900 patent”). In general, such an environment canbe provided if the processing hardware and some internal memory isinside a physically tamper-resistant barrier, and contains software tomanage internal functions appropriately.

For such tamper-resistant environments to be commercially practical,however, they should impose minimal additional cost beyond the cost of asimilar, but non-secure, computing environment. Thus, for example, aproblem with some conventional SPU designs is that the SPU isimplemented as a separate chip, to be included in an informationappliance along with the information appliance's general-purposemicrocontroller. Recently, single-chip microcontrollers containing aprocessor, memory management unit, peripheral functions, controlregisters, and a significant amount of internal memory have becomewidely available. What is needed are systems and methods for efficientlyenhancing the functionality of these components to implement anintegrated secure processing unit.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Systems and methods for efficiently enhancing conventionalmicrocontroller/micro-processor designs to enable the creation ofintegrated, improved SPUs are described herein. The techniques describedherein are low in cost, and represent a relatively small number of gatesrelative to the overall device. They are also non-intrusive to theoverall device architecture and implementation, in that they do notrequire major changes to critical timing and/or data paths in thedevice. Unlike earlier SPU designs, which implement the SPU as anentirely separate coprocessor distinct from the mainCPU/microcontroller, or which impose expensive alterations to existingdevice architecture and design, this invention enables creation of anSPU at small additional cost in either manufacturing or runtimeperformance. It should be appreciated that the present invention can beimplemented in numerous ways, including as a process, an apparatus, asystem, a device, a method, a computer readable medium, or as acombination thereof. Several inventive embodiments of the presentinvention are described below.

In one embodiment, a hardware Secure Processing Unit (SPU) is describedthat can perform both security functions and other information appliancefunctions using the same set of hardware resources. Because theadditional hardware required to support security functions is arelatively small fraction of the overall device hardware, this type ofSPU can be competitive with ordinary non-secure CPUs or microcontrollersthat perform the same functions. A set of minimal initialization andmanagement hardware and software are added to a base CPU/microcontrollerto create an SPU environment and the functions needed to virtualize theSPU's hardware resources so that they can be shared between securityfunctions and other functions performed by the same CPU/microcontroller.

In another embodiment, a secure processing unit is described. The secureprocessing unit includes an internal memory unit, a processor, logic fordetecting attempts to tamper with the secure processing unit and forresponding thereto, an interface to external systems or components, oneor more buses for connecting the aforementioned elements of the secureprocessing unit, and a tamper-resistant housing. The internal memoryunit may include secure random access memory, secure non-volatilememory, and secure read-only memory. The secure non-volatile memory maybe powered by a battery and may include one or more cryptographic keys.In one embodiment, the internal memory unit includes a unique identifierfor the secure processing unit, a private cryptographic key, a publiccryptographic key, and a cryptographic certificate linking the uniqueidentifier and the public cryptographic key. The processor may include amemory management unit and one or more processor security registers. Theprocessor security registers may contain access control data forrestricting access to certain memory regions to predefined softwarecomponents and/or processor modes. The secure processing unit may alsoinclude a level-one page table. Entries in the level-one page tablecorrespond to a level-two page table. The level-one page table entriescontain an attribute that indicates whether the entries in thecorresponding level-two page table may designate certain memory regions.Level-two page tables that are not allowed to designate certain regionsof memory may be stored outside of the secure processing unit inexternal memory.

In yet another embodiment, an information appliance is described. Theinformation appliance can be a television set-top box, a portable audioplayer, a portable video player, a cellular telephone, a personalcomputer, a workstation, or any other suitable device. In a preferredembodiment, the information appliance includes a memory unit, a secureprocessing unit, and a bus for connecting the memory unit to the secureprocessing unit. The secure processing unit includes tamper resistantpackaging, logic for detecting tampering and responding thereto, asecure memory unit, and a processing unit that includes a memorymanagement unit and one or more processor security registers. The secureprocessing unit is operable to perform both secure processing operationsand the processing operations performed by a conventional informationappliance processing unit. Thus, the secure processing unit can be usedto replace an information appliance's conventional processing unit inwhole or in part.

These and other features and advantages of the present invention will bepresented in more detail in the following detailed description and theaccompanying figures that illustrate by way of example the principles ofthe invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be readily understood by the followingdetailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings,wherein like reference numerals designate like structural elements, andin which:

FIG. 1A illustrates a Secure Processing Unit (SPU) in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 1B shows an information appliance in accordance with an embodimentof the present invention.

FIG. 2 further illustrates a preferred embodiment of SPU hardware.

FIG. 3 introduces the software structure running on the SPU.

FIG. 4 shows memory protection registers corresponding to regions ofinternal protected memory.

FIG. 5 illustrates a virtual address translation mechanism.

FIG. 6 shows an example of address re-mapping to facilitate reduction inmemory management table size.

FIG. 7 shows an embodiment employing multiple page table base registersto allow parts of the level-one page table to reside in unprotectedmemory.

FIG. 8 indicates how physical address space can be divided into regionsdesignated as “critical” or “non-critical.”

FIG. 9 shows an illustrative embodiment of logic for making criticalaccess decisions.

FIG. 10 shows an SPU reinitialization process in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 shows some of the contents of the protected internal memory ofan SPU in an embodiment of the present invention, and also shows howthose contents may relate to the contents of external memory.

FIG. 12 illustrates registers and logic for protecting small regions ofinternal memory.

FIG. 13 shows hardware structures used to restrict access to softwaremodules stored in internal ROM.

FIG. 14 shows components of the authorization data used to grant accessto restricted internal ROM modules.

FIG. 15 shows the steps performed in the authorization process forgranting access to restricted internal ROM modules.

FIG. 16 illustrates a method for loading and starting secure monitor203.

FIG. 17 illustrates the steps of one method for loading and startingsecure monitor 203, in which monitor 203 is re-loaded each time thedevice is reset.

FIG. 18A shows one possible embodiment of initialization based on securedevice personalization functions at the SPU manufacturer.

FIG. 18B shows one possible embodiment of initialization based on securedevice personalization functions at the appliance manufacturer and theend-user.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A detailed description of the invention is provided below. While theinvention is described in conjunction with several embodiments, itshould be understood that the invention is not limited to any oneembodiment. On the contrary, the scope of the invention is limited onlyby the appended claims and encompasses numerous alternatives,modifications, and equivalents. In addition, while numerous specificdetails are set forth in the following description in order to provide athorough understanding of the present invention, the present inventionmay be practiced according to the claims without some or all of thesedetails. For example, while the discussion of several embodimentsprovides the size of various memory regions, registers, signals, and thelike, one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that theseillustrative sizes can be varied without departing from the principlesof the present invention. Similarly, for the purpose of clarity, certaintechnical-material that is known in the art has not been described indetail in order to avoid obscuring the present invention. For example,reference will be made to a number of terms and concepts that are wellknown in the fields of computer architecture and cryptography.Background information on computer architecture can be found, forexample, in Hennessy et al., Computer Architecture: A QuantitativeApproach, 2d ed. (Morgan Kaufmann 1996); Patterson et al., ComputerOrganization and Design: The Hardware/Software Interface, 2d ed. (MorganKaufmann 1997); and Jaggar, Advanced RISC Machines ArchitectureReference Manual (Prentice Hall 1997). Background information oncryptography can be found, for example, in Menezes et al., Handbook ofApplied Cryptography (CRC Press 1996); and Schneier, AppliedCryptography, 2d ed. (John Wiley & Sons 1995). Background on VirtualMachine (VM) operating systems can be found, for example, in Pugh etal., IBM's 360 and Early 370 Systems (MIT Press 1991).

As shown in FIG. 1A, in one embodiment of the present invention a SecureProcessing Unit (SPU) 100 includes a processor 101, secure internalmemory 102, and secure external interface 103, all operating within theprotection of a physical tamper-resistant package 110, and connectedtogether by internal data/address/control bus 109. Processor 101 mayalso include memory management unit 131 and processor security registers132 to enable protection and isolation among software components runningon SPU 100.

Secure internal memory 102 may be alterable but non-volatile (in wholeor in part), based on technologies such as EEPROM, flash memory,ferroelectric memory, or battery-backed conventional memory technology.Although only one bus 109 is shown in FIG. 1A, one of ordinary skill inthe art will appreciate that multiple internal buses may be usedinstead, possibly to connect together subsets of SPU components forconsiderations of speed, power dissipation, power distribution,isolation, or other design goals.

Secure external interface 103 may allow access to external bus 104,external memory 105, or external peripherals 106, depending on thestructure of the system of which SPU 100 is a component. Also, externalbus 104 may be structured as one or more physical buses that provideconnections of different types, speeds, or other characteristics todifferent subsets of the external resources.

In addition, SPU 100 may include peripherals such as a secure real-timeclock 120, cryptographic accelerator 121 for secret-key cryptography,arithmetic accelerator 122 for public-key cryptography, random valuegenerator 123 for cryptographic key generation, and/or other suchperipherals and components as may be needed to perform a desired set ofsecure operations. Such peripherals may be required only in certainenvironments to support specific system functions, and are not requiredas components of an SPU. However, to the extent that peripheralfunctions are security-critical (e.g., access to functions is permittedonly for the security management software/firmware), such peripheralsshould be included within the SPU's tamper-resistant boundary.

To protect against tampering, SPU 100 may include tamper-detectionsensors 111-115 for detecting attempts to breach tamper-resistantbarrier 110 and for performing tamper-response functions in responsethereto. For example, breach-detection sensor 111 can detect physicaltampering with the SPU's package 110. Light-detection sensor 112 candetect light that may be introduced as a side-effect of opening theSPU's package. Radiation sensor 113 can detect radiation, such asX-rays, that may be used in an attempt to determine the configuration ofcomponents within the SPU's package. Radiation sensor 113 can alsodetect attempts to use such radiation to disrupt the operation of SPU100 temporarily in order to cause it to misbehave in a predictable oranalyzable manner. Temperature sensor 114 can be used to detect attemptsto place the SPU at temperature extremes that would disrupt itsoperation and/or render the tamper-response circuits ineffective. Inputerror sensor 115 can detect attempts to introduce non-standard inputsignals into the SPU's standard electrical interfaces (such as thepower, clock, and data inputs) in order to disrupt its operation (forexample, by causing some parts of processor 101 to experience extraclock pulses). Tamper-detection sensors 111-115, as well as othertamper-detection sensors that may be desirable, are connected totamper-response logic 116, which causes SPU 100 to respond to tamperingby, for example, erasing its internal storage of secret information frommemory 102. It will be appreciated that depending on the level ofsecurity that is desired, in some embodiments only some (or none) of theillustrative tamper-detection sensors shown in FIG. 1A may be included.

SPU 100 can be implemented in a variety of ways. For example, in apreferred embodiment SPU 100 is formed by modifying the design of aconventional microcontroller or CPU (e.g., an ARM, MIPS, SPARC, orINTEL® IA-32 microcontroller/microprocessor, or the like) to include thefunctionality and features described herein. As shown in FIG. 1B, theresulting microcontroller/microprocessor 100 could then be included inplace of the conventional microcontroller/microprocessor in aninformation appliance 10 such as a portable device, personal computer,television set-top box, cellular telephone, workstation, or the like. Asdescribed in more detail below, such a modifiedmicrocontroller/microprocessor would be able to provide thefunctionality of the conventional microcontroller/microprocessor, andwould also be able to perform secure rights management, financialtransactions, or other sensitive operations typically performed by aseparate SPU. (Additional examples of the potential uses of an SPU canbe found in the '900 patent, which is hereby incorporated by referencein its entirety). Thus, the present invention can obviate the need toinclude a separate SPU in an information appliance 10; instead, usingthe techniques described herein, the security features of a separate SPUcan be advantageously and efficiently integrated with the functionalityand features of a general-purpose processor or microcontroller.Alternatively, the novel features and functionality described hereincould be used in the design of a wholly newmicrocontroller/microprocessor, and thus it will be appreciated that thepresent invention is not limited to modifications of existing processoror microcontroller designs.

1. Single-Chip VLSI Microcontroller SPU Architecture

FIG. 2 provides a more-detailed illustration of certain hardware aspectsof an SPU in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Asshown in FIG. 2, in one embodiment SPU 100 comprises a VLSI chip encasedwithin a tamper-resistant package 110. SPU 100 can be powered both byexternal power supply 144 and by battery 145. In the embodiment shown inFIG. 2, secure memory 102 includes three parts: secure read-only memory141, which may be programmed by the manufacturer during the VLSIproduction process, and which typically cannot be easily alteredthereafter; secure non-volatile memory 142, which can be read andwritten by processor 100, and which may be powered by battery 145 sothat its contents are retained at all times; and secure volatile memory143, which is powered by external power supply 144 and whose contentsare lost when power supply 144 is disconnected.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, SPU 100 operates principally whenpowered by external power supply 144, which may be suppliedintermittently, but also receives power continuously from battery 145,which provides power to non-volatile memory 142, real-time clock 120,tamper detection sensors 111-115, and tamper-response logic 116 throughbacking power bus 146.

If battery 145 is disconnected or disrupted, or if tampering isotherwise indicated, tamper-response logic 116 can be made operable torespond by clearing some or all of the information stored innon-volatile memory 142. Even if system power is interrupted, suchtamper-response actions can be performed in a very short time(preferably a single clock cycle), and can be performed using storedpower still available on-chip (e.g., in small on-chip capacitors). Inother embodiments, multiple types of tamper response signals may bedefined, to distinguish, for example, between a random glitch on aninput signal and a deliberate attempt to tamper with the system (e.g., abreach of the SPU's physical packaging). In response to these differentsignals, different parts of non-volatile memory 142 may be cleared,and/or registers may be set to indicate to monitoring software whichevent occurred. These distinctions can thus aid decisions about tamperrecovery.

As shown in FIG. 2, in a preferred embodiment external bus 104 permitsSPU 100 to access memory devices and/or other peripherals outside oftamper-resistant package 110, but does not permit devices outside thepackage to request access to internal resources. That is, external bus104 provides output-only addressing, but can transfer data for bothinput and output purposes. In other embodiments, external bus 104 mayalso be designed to support input addressing, so that external devices(including other processors) can initiate “direct memory access” (DMA)to the internal resources, memory, and/or other components of SPU 100.In such embodiments, processor security registers 132 can be used toindicate which internal resources permit or do not permit such externalaccess.

2. SPU Monitor Software Structure

FIG. 3 shows software running on SPU 100 that includes bothprotection-critical software 202 and other software 201. For example, ina very simple information appliance such as a music player,protection-critical software 202 might include the digital rightsmanagement software governing encryption/decryption of, access to,payment for, and/or reporting of digital music content being played, andother software 201 might include the software that provides the player'suser interface (e.g., control of an LCD display, user interface buttons,etc.), the music decoding software that converts compressed digitalmusic into audio samples, the file system for storing encrypted digitalmusic files, etc. Both software 201 and software 202 may comprise manymodules, only some of which may be resident in secure memory 102 at anyparticular time. Software modules will typically be resident in separatememory spaces and have access to memory spaces controlled by monitor 203so that they are effectively isolated from each other. As described inmore detail below, in a preferred embodiment secure monitor software 203enables the loading and unloading of software modules into SPU 100, andcontrols access to memory management unit 131, processor securityregisters 132, and other protection-critical resources within SPU 100.Monitor 203 may use protection facilities (e.g., a memory managementunit (MMU) that provides independent control for access to differentpages and/or segments of memory) already present in conventional,off-the-shelf processors (such as those conforming to the INTEL® IA-32,ARM, MIPS, or SPARC architectures), to effect the desired isolation.

In one embodiment, monitor 203 has two primary functions:

1. It virtualizes hardware resources in the system containing SPU 100,in the sense of establishing itself as a virtual machine operatingsystem supervisor that can present other software components 201 and 202with the appearance of running on a bare machine computer. It is usefulto provide such an appearance since software implementers then need haveonly minimal awareness of the monitor, and can program for the SPUenvironment without learning new interfaces. In some applications,however, it may be appropriate to provide an interface more closely tiedto the monitor software, because that facilitates making trade-offsamong efficiency, size, and/or performance (which factors may affect anyof the software components, not just the monitor software).

2. It manages the loading and swapping of other software components 201and 202 to ensure that only valid components are operating.

Monitor 203 differs from a conventional virtual machine supervisor(e.g., the Control Program of the IBM VM1370 operating system) in thatit distinguishes between resources internal to SPU 100 and thoseoutside. In particular, monitor 203 is responsible for managing secureinternal memory 102 and for ensuring that activities such as softwareand/or external hardware tampering do not cause it to be accessed in aninvalid manner. Conventional virtual machine supervisors typicallyassume that the entire computer under their control is physically secureand free from tampering. In contrast, and as described in more detailbelow, SPU 100 typically only considers the internal resources to besecure.

3. SPU Memory Protection with MMU

In a preferred embodiment, processor 101 includes memory management unit131, which is used by monitor 203 to isolate memory regions accessibleto different software modules. Memory management unit 131 can employ avariety of familiar mechanisms to effect such isolation, includingpaging, page protection, segmentation, segment limits, protectiondomains, capabilities, storage keys, and/or other techniques.

Because a typical memory management unit, such as that characteristic ofthe ARM architecture, translates virtual addresses to physical addresseswith little or no restriction on the physical address values resultingfrom that translation, in some embodiments of the present invention allof the translation tables are kept in internal memory 102 in order toguarantee their integrity and to ensure that only monitor 203, andspecific authorized hardware functions (e.g., the MMU) can manipulatethem. If translation tables were stored outside SPU 100, external systemcomponents, which may be under control of (or directly represent) anadversary, could alter their contents and potentially permit user-modesoftware modules to access protection-critical data or the monitoritself.

FIG. 5 shows a typical memory management unit employing multi-level pagetranslation. Similar schemes are found in the VAX, IA-32, ARM,System/370, and many other architectures. In this example, virtualaddress 320 is divided into three parts: level-one selection 321, whichselects an entry in level-one page table 302; level-two selection 322,which selects an entry in level-two page table 304; and word selection323, which selects a word from memory page 306. An initial level-zeromapping 310, which locates the base of level-one page table 302, isspecified by the processor's paging base register 301. This embodimentassumes a single instance of level-one page table 302, although it ispossible that several base registers could be used to designate multiplesuch tables based on other bits in virtual address 320. Additionally,attributes for level-one page table 302, such as those described below,may be specified in base register 301. The level-one mapping 311, whichlocates the base of one of the level-two page tables 304, is specifiedin level-one page table entry 303, which may also specify attributes forthe specific level-two page table it designates. The level-two mapping312, which locates the base of one of plural memory pages 306, isspecified in level-two page table entry 305, which may also specifyattributes for the specific page it designates. Alternative embodimentsmay specify more levels of mapping by, for example, dividing virtualaddress 320 into more parts (or fewer levels, with fewer address parts).Further, alternative embodiments may define different numbers of mappinglevels or types of mappings based on attribute information in the pagetables. Alternative embodiments may also locate page tables and pages bydifferent structures, such as an inverted page table, which performs ahash-based lookup of the virtual address to translate it.

As described in more detail below, several techniques may be used, aloneor in combination, to reduce the dependence on internal protected memory102 for storing memory translation tables. These techniques include:

1. Certain regions of physical memory (most importantly, some or all ofinternal memory 102) can be designated “critical” and access to thoseregions restricted to certain processor operating modes.

2. A “non-critical only” protection attribute can be used to designatecertain translation tables as being permitted to specify addresstranslations only to “non-critical” addresses. If this attribute ispresent in a level-one (or earlier) page table entry stored in criticalmemory, it is safe for the level-two (or later) page tables that itdesignates to be stored in non-critical memory since manipulation ofthose page tables will not result in a translation designating criticalmemory (and thus cannot grant access to critical memory). Thus, thistechnique can reduce the amount of critical memory required for pagetables.

3. Large translation tables can be reduced in size by address re-mappingin cases where much of the table is empty.

4. Multiple level-one page tables can be designated for different partsof the virtual address space by different base registers. This techniquecan allow even certain level-one page tables to reside in non-criticalmemory because the base registers can specify the “non-critical only”attribute, further reducing the amount of critical memory required.

3.1. Memory Protection by Physical Address

In a conventional virtual memory system, such as that characteristic ofthe ARM or IA-32 architectures, protection is based solely on protectionattributes (e.g., access control bits in page tables) associated withvirtual (logical) addresses, and is enforced by a memory management unitduring the process of translation from logical to physical addresses. Ina preferred embodiment of the present invention, an additional,independent level of protection is applied based on physical addresses.This “critical address” protection ensures that accesses to criticalinternal addresses, such as those of internal memory, control registers,and memory-mapped internal peripherals, is restricted to appropriatesoftware components, based on processor operating modes or otherrestrictions, and applies regardless of (i.e., as a further restrictionon) access rights specified in MMU data structures (e.g., page tables).

FIG. 8 shows an illustrative embodiment in which the full 16-megabytephysical address space 380 of an SPU-enabled microcontroller is dividedinto one-megabyte segments 381A-381P. Segments 381 include, for example,external ROM 381P, internal RAM 381I, control registers 381B, and soforth. In this example, a 16-bit critical address register 382 (e.g.,one of the processor security registers 132) has a bit corresponding toeach segment; the value of the bit specifies whether the segment isconsidered critical, and therefore accessible only in an appropriatelyprivileged processor mode (e.g., supervisor mode) and/or only forappropriate functions such as address translation, or whether thesegment is considered non-critical, and is not subject to criticaladdress controls.

FIG. 9 shows an illustrative embodiment of logic for making criticalaccess decisions. One bit of critical address register 382 is selectedby selector 383 using the upper four bits of physical address 389, andis complemented by logical-NOT function 398 to yield non-criticaladdress signal 394. Signal 394 indicates that a particular physicaladdress is (or is not) non-critical (i.e., is potentially subject toadversarial manipulations). To determine the relevance of that signal,non-MMU access signal 396 and supervisor state flag 395 are combined bylogical-AND 385 to indicate that “critical address” protection shouldnot be checked. (Note that signal 396 and flag 395 will typically bereadily available or derivable from the MMU circuitry of conventionalmicrocontrollers/microprocessors, signal 396 being operable to indicatewhether a particular memory reference is being made to fetchinstructions or data to be processed by the CPU proper, or whether thereference is being made to fetch a page table entry to be processed bythe MMU). The purpose of the check embodied by logical-AND 385 is toallow data and instruction references to critical memory by monitorsoftware 203 (which preferably runs in the processor's most privilegedmode) but to prevent even that software from making address translationsthrough page table entries with the “non-critical only” attribute set.If the latter check were not made, it would be potentially possible foran adversary to construct page table entries that monitor software 203would unwittingly use to access data in critical memory as if it were apage table entry. The output of logical-AND 385 is combined usinglogical-OR 386 with critical MMU access signal 391. MMU access signal391 is generated by memory management unit 131 to indicate that a pagetable entry is being fetched (as opposed to an ordinary processor accessresulting from translation of a virtual address), and that the pagetable is permitted to be in a critical address region. Signal 391 iseffectively the inverse of the “non-critical attribute” described inmore detail below. The output of logical OR 386 is combined usinglogical OR 397 with non-critical address signal 394 to drive selector387, which determines whether output physical address 389 from memorymanagement unit 131 is permitted to be used by memory subsystem 388.Note that memory subsystem 388 is a logical construct representing alladdressable memory in the system, whether internal or external.

In other embodiments, decisions about permitting access to criticalmemory can be based on a variety of other criteria, and can applydifferently to different regions of memory. For example, access can bepermitted only for particular execution domains, processes, instructionlocations, and/or other attributes, rather than being based primarily ona user/supervisor mode distinction. As yet another example, differentrules might be specified for read accesses and write accesses todifferent critical address regions.

3.2. Internal Memory Protection

In addition to specifying access and usage rules for large ranges ofphysical address space (which may represent internal memory, externalmemory, peripherals, control registers, and/or other functions), it isuseful to be able to specify such protection for distinct small regionsof internal secure memory 102. For example, the first time monitorsoftware 203 or one of its logical components executes, it mayinitialize certain values that are not changed again during normaloperation. In such cases, it is useful to ensure that such memory cannotbe written, even in the face of an error elsewhere in monitor software203 that inadvertently addresses such memory.

FIG. 12 shows an illustrative mechanism for protecting internal memoryin accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. In thisexample, 32 kilobytes of internal non-volatile memory 142 is dividedinto thirty-two, one-kilobyte regions 371 a-371 ff. Internalwrite-protect register 372 and internal write-disable register 373 eachhave 32 bits, corresponding to regions 371 a-371 ff. A write access to amemory region succeeds if the corresponding bits in both registers arezero, meaning that writing is neither protected nor disabled. In otherwords, write disable signal 374 is the logical OR 375 of the selectedcorresponding bits in each register.

The difference between registers 372 and 373 is that the bits inwrite-protect register 372 can be set and cleared repeatedly, whereaswrite-disable register 373 is “sticky”—any bit set in register 373cannot be cleared (e.g., because the register is designed to latch, butnot reset), (except by removing any battery backup power and erasinginternal memory 142 and clearing all other registers. In someembodiments SPU 100 may provide an external “master clear” signal toforce erasure of all memory and all registers (e.g., in the event of anexternally detected tamper indication); however, registers 372 and 373are preferably not altered by the tamper-detection logic or othertamper-response activities except for the master clear signal or otherfunction intended to disable the SPU completely (or at least until somerecovery action is initiated).

Similar protections can be applied to internal read-write memory 143 (ifdistinct from memory 142), and additional registers such as registers372 and 373 can be used to protect a larger number of internal memoryregions, thus enabling protection of a larger amount of internal memoryand/or protection at a smaller granularity. Further protection againsterror can be provided by requiring a special access mechanism forsetting registers 372 and 373; for example, rather than mappingindividual bits to regions of memory, each register can be a set ofbyte-wide values, with each byte corresponding to a protected region.The registers can require that a special value (for example, a random8-bit constant, or such a constant XOR'd with the region number) bestored in the register in order to set (or clear) the corresponding bitin the register corresponding to one protected memory region.Alternatively, a single set of byte-wide registers can be used for boththe write-protect and write-disable functions. For example, setting sucha register to 0x60 might temporarily enable writing, setting it to 0x71might temporarily protect against writing, setting it to 0xA3 mightpermanently disable writing, and subsequently setting it to any othervalue would then be ignored (or those constants could be XOR'd with theindex of the region being controlled). Thus, it should be appreciatedthat there are a wide variety of ways to implement the functionalityshown in FIG. 12.

3.3. Memory Protection by Page Table Attribute

Another technique for reducing the amount of internal protected memory102 needed to store the memory management tables is to locate some ofthose tables outside of “critical” memory. The designation of criticaladdresses may, for example, be accomplished in the manner previouslydescribed in connection with FIGS. 8 and 9, or by using an alternativemechanism.

In one such embodiment, level-one page table entry 303 may include a“non-critical only” attribute for the page table it designates, theattribute indicating that the page base addresses in level-two pagetable 305 can designate only “non-critical” memory regions, as definedby processor security registers 132. In such an embodiment, processorsecurity registers 132 can be used to designate internal memory ascritical, but external memory 105 (accessed by external bus 104) asnon-critical. Designation may be on the basis of address and length,fixed address partitioning (e.g., a protection designation bit for each1/16th of the address space as shown in FIG. 8), storage keys associatedwith addresses, or other similar mechanisms. If a level-two page tableentry 305 is found to contain a protection-critical address when the“non-critical only” attribute was present in the level-one page tableentry 303 that refers to it, memory management unit 131 indicates anexception and the access is not permitted. This technique permits thebulk of page tables to be stored outside protected memory 102 withoutenabling an external agent to breach security, as long as the level-onepage table 302 is kept internally and/or is otherwise inaccessible.

In other embodiments, the “non-critical” attribute can be present atother levels. For example, if more than two levels of page mapping areemployed, any level could indicate that subsequent levels might use only“non-critical” addresses. As another example, if multiple base registersare employed, they can indicate whether a level-one page table ispermitted to use “non-critical” addresses. In addition, addressprotection can be made more fine-grained by defining multipleattributes—such as protection domains (e.g., like those present inprocessors conforming to the ARM architecture) or storage keys (e.g.,such as those used in IBM 370 architecture devices)—that are used todetermine the validity of physical page mappings.

3.4. Memory Protection Optimization by Address Remapping

Another technique for reducing the amount of internal protected memory102 needed to store the memory management tables is to reduce the sizeof the tables. As shown in FIG. 5, level-one page table 302 should belarge enough to hold a level-one page table entry 303 for each possiblevalue of level-one address selection 311 (for example, 4096 entries of 4bytes each, or 16,384 bytes total, selected by the upper 12 bits of thevirtual address). In some architectures (e.g., Intel IA-32), theselimits on level-one page table size are implicit (e.g., IA-32 segmentlength values can be used to ensure that only part of the level-one pagetable is needed) or are provided as part of the base MMU function, whilein other architectures (e.g., MIPS, which manages address translationthrough special-purpose software), these limits can be implemented insoftware or firmware. However, in some architectures (e.g., ARM), thetables are always expected to be full-size: there is no way to restrictthe virtual addresses the CPU can generate, and thus the entirelevel-one page table must be available to attempt translations of thoseaddresses—even if most such addresses are not valid, the correspondinglevel-one page table entries are still required to have a place toindicate that the addresses are not translatable. Even if thearchitecture defines the tables as full-size, however, a memorysubsystem can be designed to limit their scope through mapping. Anillustration of such an embodiment is described below.

FIG. 6 illustrates the correspondence between physical memory 331 andvirtual address space 332 in one embodiment of the present invention.These two regions of address space represent the same physical storagelocations; that is, the addresses in the range 0x100000 to 0x13FFFF aredecoded to reach the same locations as 0x000000 to 0x004000. In theexample shown in FIG. 6, sixteen kilobytes of physical memory 331 isdivided into 1024-byte real memory pages 333, while 256 kilobytes ofmapped memory 332 provides sixteen sets of 1024-byte mapped pages 334and 15-kilobyte unmapped regions 335 (note that mapped memory 332 shouldnot be confused with the virtual address space; the mapping referred tohere is a fixed mapping that “scatters” a set of physical memorylocations into a larger region of physical address space). As shown inFIG. 6, there is a one-to-one correspondence between mapped pages 334and real pages 333, but unlike the real pages, the mapped pages are notcontiguous in the address space. When read, unmapped regions 335 return,e.g., all zeros; when written, they either ignore the written data orgenerate an exception, as defined by the SPU architecture.

In such an embodiment, it is possible to specify that, for example, alevel-one page table 302, which is nominally 16 kilobytes in extent,resides at a mapped location (e.g., 0x108000). If this is done, thefirst kilobyte of the table is located in real physical memory, but theremaining 15 kilobytes are read as zeros, which will indicate a pagefault (or other appropriate) exception. Placing the page table into thisregion reduces the total size of the virtual address space by a factorof 16, because only the first 1/16 part of the level-one page table isin actual memory, but it also reduces the size of the level-one pagetable to an amount that can fit more comfortably into a small internalmemory. Even though only part of the architecturally defined level-onepage table is manipulable, that typically provides more than enoughvirtual address space for applications.

In a preferred embodiment, the same region of physical memory may bere-mapped multiple times, at different granularities. For example, theremay be a part of the address space that maps to 1-kilobyte pages, with15 kilobyte unmapped regions, and another part that maps to 4-kilobytepages with 12 kilobyte unmapped regions. Having a variety of suchregions with different ratios of mapped and unmapped memory providesflexibility for the software to use the minimal set of such regions asare necessary to support the required virtual address space. The numberand extent of such mappings can be adjusted by the processor architectto suit the needs of the system.

Other re-mapping schemes can be used to achieve similar or more powerfuleffects. For example, re-mapping can be based on an offset/lengthcalculation, or on a set of associative prefix registers that re-map asmall, designated set of addresses, rather than whole regions of theinternal memory space.

3.5. Memory Protection with Multiple Level-One Page Tables

Another technique for reducing the size of the level-one page tablesthat are kept in internal memory is to use multiple base registers incombination with a “non-critical only” attribute (such as that describedabove) in those base registers for subsequent address processing. Forexample, memory management unit 131 might include three base addressregisters 301, one of which defines mapping for the high end of theaddress space (e.g., addresses for which a designated number ofhigh-order address bits are all equal to 1), one for the low end of theaddress space (e.g., addresses for which a designated number ofhigh-order address bits are all equal to 0), and one for all other partsof the address space.

FIG. 7 shows an illustrative embodiment in which three distinctlevel-one page tables are used. The level-one selection 321 portion ofvirtual address 320 is routed to two selection logic blocks involvingmasks 341 and 342 (note that in FIG. 7 a slash through a signal lineindicates a potentially multi-bit bus). In this embodiment, mask values(typically set in a processor configuration register) are used to allowthe software to choose which high and low addresses are mapped throughthe special base registers, but it is to be appreciated that othertechniques could be used to divide the level-one page table into two ormore parts that can be located in different memory regions. For example,use could be made of techniques such as fixed selections, selectionamong a larger set of base registers by direct mapping from high-orderaddress bits, or arithmetic comparison to identify one or more addressranges to be handled by a distinct page table, can be used. If all thebits selected by low address mask 341 are set in the output ofcomplement function 343, as determined by mask comparison 344, thattriggers selector 354 to deliver low level-one base address 351 tocombiner 357. If all the bits selected by high address mask 342 are setin the address, as determined by mask comparison 345, that triggersselector 356 to deliver high level-one base address to combiner 357.Otherwise, regular level-one base address 352 is delivered to combiner357 as triggered by logical NOR 346. Combiner 357 combines the addressbase value with level-one selection value 321 to determine level-onepage table entry address 358, which is used to fetch a level-one pagetable entry. Combiner 357 may be an arithmetic add, logical OR, or otherfunction suitable for generating that address, possibly incorporatingadditional masks or offsets.

Alternative embodiments can select among multiple base registers usingfixed criteria (e.g., select one of 16 registers based on the upper 4bits of the address), using additional registers to hold base addressregister numbers for different parts of an address space, through abase/length calculation, or through other familiar means.

To provide a protected memory space for secure monitor software 203,mask registers 341 and/or 342, and base registers 351 and 353 can be setup so that the level-one page tables for appropriate portions of thehighest and lowest parts of the virtual address space are kept ininternal protected memory 102, but base register 352 can designate alevel-one page table in unprotected external memory 105. In combinationwith the “non-critical only” attribute (as previously described), whichin this embodiment is held as part of, or is associated with, each baseregister 351-353, this approach would mark the high and low parts of thevirtual address space as critical, and manageable only by secure monitor203 (because those registers would only be accessible in the privilegedmode of the monitor software), while allowing other software 202 tomanage page tables for the rest of the virtual address space. If securemonitor 203 provides a “virtual machine” environment, it can detectreferences by other software 202 to parts of the apparent level-one pagetable that are designated by base register 352 but actually redirectedby base and mask registers 351, 353, 341, and 342. Upon detecting suchreferences, it can validate the reference and, if appropriate, emulatethe operation the reference was intended to perform by updating the realcopies of those parts of the page table in protected memory in theconventional manner of a virtual machine operating system's emulation ofmemory management functions.

3.6. Protection for Control Registers

Processor security registers 132 and other internal control registers(such as those that control I/O ports, peripherals, etc. that may be apart of external interface 103) may be present in a region of theprocessor's physical address space. To minimize the size of addresstranslation tables, such registers may be compactly allocated in a smallregion (e.g., one page), such that a single memory managementtranslation entry describes them all. However, if all such registers areallocated together, it is generally not possible to protect differentregisters by different access controls because the granularity ofaddress protection (typically a page of 4096 bytes) is not sufficient todistinguish among multiple registers defined at adjacent addresses.

To facilitate such protection, control registers may be defined toappear in two distinct parts of the physical address space: once wherethe address is decoded for a compact region containing all registers,and again where the address is decoded for a sparse region where only asingle register or a closely associated group of registers areaccessible in the scope of a single page.

Such dual decoding permits SPU monitor 203 to use a single addressmapping (mapping some logical address to the physical page or pageswhere all control registers are present compactly) for system controlpurposes. Monitor 203 can also establish separate mappings for differentprocesses, domains, or other logical constructs that map a logical pageaddress to the single page where a particular control register (and noothers, or no unrelated others) is decoded. In an architecture thatsupports sub-page access control granularity (e.g., ARM), an alternatedecoding can place individual control registers or related groupsthereof into distinct sub-pages, thus saving on address translationtable entries. In such an architecture, three decodings (one compact,one sparse on page granularity, one sparse on sub-page granularity)maximizes flexibility for structuring monitor 203. The goal of theseoptimizations is to minimize the number of page table entries needed toprotect the addresses that are used to refer to control registers, sothat it is possible for monitor software 203 to refer to all of themefficiently yet also be able to grant access only to specific registers(e.g., those controlling one or more specific non security-criticalperipherals) to other software.

It is to be appreciated that in architectures where address translationis partly or wholly under software/firmware control (e.g., MIPS, wherethe translation lookaside buffer entries are loaded explicitly), thetechniques described above can also be implemented in saidsoftware/firmware.

4. SPU Memory Protection without MMU

In an embodiment where processor 101 does not include memory managementunit 131, secure monitor 203 can be used to ensure that other softwaremodules 201 are run only in a controlled state, and only with access toappropriate parts of secure memory 102. In addition, secure monitor 203may, if appropriate, also be used to constrain the execution environmentfor protection-critical modules 202 to non-supervisor state (or someother less privileged state). In some embodiments certain modules 202may also be validly executed in the same protection state as monitor203, depending on the architecture of monitor 203, providing that thosemodules are certified to operate safely before being granted access tooperate in the same state as monitor 203.

One simple embodiment of processor 101 defines two processor operatingmodes: “user” mode and “supervisor” mode (as provided, for example, inthe ARM and System/370 architectures). The supervisor (or “controlling”)mode has capabilities and access (e.g., access to processor securityregisters 132) that are not available in the user (or “controlled”)mode. Other embodiments of processor 101 may use multiple modes (somewith characteristics of user mode, and others with characteristics ofsupervisor mode), privilege levels or rings of protection, multipleprotection “domains” or “capabilities,” and/or other features ortechniques (e.g., protection levels in the IA-32 architecture, ordomains in the ARM architecture).

In the aforementioned simple embodiment of processor 101, with user andsupervisor modes, monitor 203 preferably runs in the supervisor mode ofprocessor 101 so that it can access the processor security registers 132containing access control information for different regions of securememory 102. As shown in FIG. 4, protection for regions of secure memory102 can be specified by memory protection registers 151 a-151 z, which,along with other processor security registers 152, form part ofprocessor security registers 132. Each protection register 151 a-151 zspecifies protection for a corresponding region, segment, or page ofsecure memory 102. A simple embodiment of the mapping between registers151 a-151 z and memory 102 is that each register specifies protectionfor a contiguous region of fixed size and location within memory 102.Other embodiments could specify protected regions by base address andlength, or by other suitable means. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4,memory protection registers 151 a-151 z specify relatively simpleprotection rules, with four bits being used to indicate whether thecorresponding memory region is readable in supervisor mode, writable insupervisor mode, readable in user mode, or writable in user mode,respectively. However, it will be appreciated that any suitableprotection rules could be used. For example, other embodiments mightspecify protection based on domain, privilege level, storage keys, orother constructs. In yet another illustrative embodiment, memoryprotection registers 151 a-151 z contain a single bit specifyingaccessible/inaccessible, the bit being set explicitly by monitor 203 atthe beginning of monitor functions and being reset upon exit from themonitor.

5. Monitor Software Initialization and Operation

In a preferred embodiment, monitor software 203 is established insideSPU 100, thus enabling it to operate securely. In addition, at least onesecret cryptographic key is established internally to SPU 100, whichenables monitor software 203, and possibly protection-critical software202, to provide cryptographic proof of their identity and validity. Forexample, a challenge-response protocol could be used to authenticate SPU100 to other trusted systems. See, e.g., Menezes et al., Handbook ofApplied Cryptography, pp. 385-424 (CRC Press 1996)(“Menezes”), andcommonly assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/628,692, entitled“Systems and Methods for Using Cryptography to Protect Secure andInsecure Computing Environments,” filed Jul. 28, 2000, both of which arehereby incorporated by reference. Although monitor software 203 may beconstant, and represented by the same bits in all instances of SPU 100(e.g., located in secure internal ROM 141), the secret cryptographic keymay be different in all instances.

Depending on system architecture, there are a variety of ways toestablish monitor 203 in such a controlling position, so that it canexercise complete control over the SPU's resources and determine whichresources are available to other software. One such technique is to fixmonitor 203 physically in secure read-only memory as part of themanufacturing process, and to load a secret key into secure non-volatilememory 142 during the initialization process, subsequent tomanufacturing. This technique is secure to the extent that themanufacturing and initialization process is secure, and battery power isestablished during that process and remains uninterrupted for the usefullife of the device. If power is interrupted, the device should besecurely reinitialized before performing protected functions. Avariation on that technique is to load both monitor software 203 and thesecret key into secure non-volatile memory 142, thus avoiding the needto fix the monitoring software during a manufacturing step. It will beappreciated that there are many additional options for the manufacturingand initialization steps. For example, the secret key can be fixed inthe hardware (e.g., by laser modification of each part) during themanufacturing step, or the secret key could be loaded from an externalsource or generated inside the device so that it is never exposedexternally.

For some security architectures, the secret key can be a symmetric key(see, e.g., Menezes at pp. 15-21, 191-282, which is hereby incorporatedby reference), but that generally requires that its value be knownoutside the device. Thus, in one preferred embodiment asymmetriccryptography is used, so that the secret key need not be exposedexternally yet can still prove its validity to others. See, e.g.,Menezes at pp. 283-319, which is hereby incorporated by reference. Insuch an embodiment, there is typically a secret (or “private”) key, apublic key, a public identity value, and a cryptographic certificategenerated during the initialization process that establishes a bindingbetween the public key and the public identity value (and signed by atrusted authority such as the manufacturer). See, e.g., Menezes at pp.543-590, which is hereby incorporated by reference. Note that it is notnecessary for the SPU to maintain permanent internal storage of theidentity or the certificate, providing they can be located (e.g., inexternal memory) when needed.

The entire path from manufacturing through initialization is preferablykept physically secure to prevent introduction of false SPUs prior toinitialization. Once an SPU is initialized with its secret and itsmonitor software 203, it becomes self-protecting (because monitorsoftware 203 is in control of the SPU's operation) and no longerrequires such security. If the path from manufacturing to initialization(or to reinitialization, for cases in which the SPU's non-volatilememory is lost) is not physically secure, the SPU is vulnerable toattack by physical substitution: for example, an adversary mightreverse-engineer a real SPU and construct a facsimile perfect in allrespects except that its internal memory is accessible. If such an SPUcan be introduced into the initialization step, the security of theother SPUs in the system may be compromised, because secrets used incommon by multiple SPUs will generally be accessible to an adversary inthe false SPU's internal memory. This threat can be reduced by, e.g.,manufacturing SPUs in tamper-evident packaging that is difficult toreplicate, and by inspecting candidate SPUs before initialization.

5.1. Reinitialization Process

Reinitialization is an important capability in many systems. If an SPUincorrectly decides that it is being tampered with and erases itsmemory, or if its battery power is interrupted (and it relies onbattery-backed internal storage), its secrets may be lost and it maybecome unusable. Reinitialization is effectively the same asinitialization, except that it may involve the recovery of some or allthe SPU's accumulated state, and/or the validation of the SPU that isbeing reinitialized.

FIG. 10 shows a reinitialization process in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 10, internalnon-volatile memory 142 of SPU 100 is divided into regions 420A-420Z.Erasure control register 402 (which is preferably part of processorsecurity registers 132) contains one bit corresponding to each region420A-420Z. Each bit indicates whether the corresponding region is to becleared when tampering is detected by tamper response logic 116. Certainregions of internal memory 142 do not need to be cleared because theircontents do not need to be kept secret in order to maintain theintegrity of the overall system.

From time to time (e.g., periodically as determined by a timer, orfollowing specific critical transactions or events) during operation ofSPU 100, backup process 441 (e.g., part of monitor 203 orprotection-critical software 202) runs, and, in one embodiment, performsthe following process:

1. It obtains public backup key 421 from secure internal memory 142.This key is the encrypting half of an asymmetric key pair, the otherhalf of which is held in a secure location by reinitialization agent440.

2. It combines SPU identity information 426 (e.g., a serial number), SPUsecret data 422 (e.g., the secret key or keys that represent this SPU'ssecrets), and the current value of real-time clock 120, and encryptsthis combination using encryption algorithm 431.

3. It stores the encrypted result—i.e., SPU backup data 423—in secureinternal memory region 420Z and/or in insecure external memory 105.

Note that most of backup process 441 need not be part of monitorsoftware 203 in order to schedule and perform the backup operation,given appropriate support for the operation from monitor software 203.This enables monitor software 203 to be smaller and less complex. Ifbackup process 441 is not part of monitor software 203 and iscompromised, that may prevent the backup function from being performed,but does not compromise the secrets maintained by monitor software 203.

As shown in FIG. 10, monitor 203 (or protection-critical software 202)may have designated (e.g., by fixed configuration parameter or byrequest to monitor software 203) certain secure internal memory 142 tobe preserved when tampering is detected (indicated by a zero-bit inerase control register 402). Thus, even after tampering is detected(correctly or otherwise), encrypted SPU backup data 423 is availableinside the SPU (if battery power is retained), and may also be availablein external memory 105 (although it may not be the most current suchcopy created). Other parts of secure internal memory 142 may also beretained, including, for example, a bootstrap loader or otherreinitialization functions.

To reinitialize the SPU, external reinitialization agent 440 validatesthe request (430) (which includes validating that the SPU has not, infact, been tampered with, e.g., by checking status of tamper sensors orvalidating checksums or digital signatures on internal memory), decryptsencrypted SPU backup data 423, and generates SPU reinitializationmessage 433 that can be delivered back to SPU 100. Decryption step 432uses backup secret key 431, which is held securely by reinitializationagent 440. In a preferred embodiment, SPU reinitialization message 433is encrypted and digitally signed with an appropriate (and highlyprotected) secret key held by SPU 100.

It is to be appreciated that reinitialization agent 440 may beimplemented by a set of multiple independent systems, which can usethreshold cryptography or multi-party computation schemes to ensure thatcompromise of some of the systems comprising reinitialization agent 440will not result in compromise of the secrets required to restore SPU100. See, e.g., Schneier, Applied Cryptography, 2d ed., pp. 68-73,527-557 (John Wiley & Sons 1995), which is hereby incorporated byreference.

5.2. Loading Monitor Software

As previously indicated, there are a variety of ways to load and startsecure monitor software 203. FIGS. 16 and 17 show an example of one suchprocess, in which most-steps are performed at a single secure facility(the “factory”), and in which monitor 203 is re-loaded each time thedevice is reset. Referring to FIG. 16, factory software 204 generatesinformation required by SPU 100 (e.g., identity, keys, certificates,software), and loads that information into SPU 100 (e.g., by test ports,by memory access through external bus 104, by communication withinitializer software 205 via external bus 104, or the like)(block 1 ofFIG. 16). Factory software 204 preferably runs on a secure system at thefactory responsible for initializing SPU 100, but typically does not runinside SPU 100 itself.

Initializer software 205 is preferably loaded the first time SPU 100 isoperated (block 2 of FIG. 16). As described in more detail below,initializer software 205 establishes the “secure state” of SPU 100 by,e.g., setting certain flags in secure internal memory 142 or processorsecurity registers 132. Initializer 205 preferably runs once and deletesitself afterwards (block 5 of FIG. 16).

Loader software 206 is responsible for loading monitor software 203 andpossibly other modules, such as protection-critical software 202 orother software 201. Loader 206 is preferably the first software to runeach time SPU 100 is reset or reinitialized with the necessary contents(e.g., identity, keys, certificates, software) of non-volatile storagepreserved. In a preferred embodiment, loader 206 is a relatively simpleprogram, concerned with loading and validating other modules (e.g.,through digital signature validation). As shown in block 3 of FIG. 16,loader software 206 may be loaded by initializer software 205.

FIG. 17 provides a more detailed illustration of the operation of SPU100, and loader software 206 and monitor software 203 in particular.Referring to FIG. 17, monitor software 203 is the first program loadedby loader 206 (block 3 of FIG. 17), and is responsible for managing theresources inside SPU 100 once it is started (block 4 of FIG. 17).Monitor 203 runs when SPU 100 is operating normally. Secure-flag 501 isa hardware register indicating that SPU 100 is in a secure state whichis set by loader software 206 and/or monitor software 203 after a secureenvironment is established. A secure state is one in which SPU 100 maycontain information that requires protection in internal secure memory102. As indicated previously, the secure state is established byinitializer software 205 (block 4 of FIG. 16), and is tested (block 1 ofFIG. 17) to determine whether loader 206 is used after reset (block 2 ofFIG. 17). Note that a secure state may exist even after tampering isdetected; for example, part of secure internal memory 102 may becleared, but backup copies of critical secrets may be retained inanother part, as was shown in FIG. 10. In a preferred use of SPU 100,secure operation is preferably not required before initializer 205 hasrun. Before initializer 205 runs, SPU 100 may function as a non-securemicrocontroller, and the software that runs on it need not make any useof the security features, or have any awareness of them. Therefore, insuch embodiments it is desirable not to store secrets in SPU 100 (e.g.,in internal memory 102) until after a secure state has been establishedby setting secure-flag 501.

Thus, an illustrative process for loading and starting secure monitorsoftware 203 has been describe. It should be appreciated, however, thatmany variations of the process shown in FIGS. 16 and 17 are possible.For example, the steps shown in FIGS. 16 and 17 (or subsets thereof) canbe performed in a variety of different orders or combinations. One ofordinary skill in the art will also appreciate that the components ofthe initialization process described herein may be combined as a singleprogram (e.g., initializer software 205, loader software 206, andmonitor software 203 could be combined if space constraints do notwarrant their separation). In addition, it is possible that thesesoftware components may each be split into plural independent modules orsteps, better to accommodate memory or other operational constraints.

5.2.1. Internal Memory Contents

FIG. 11 shows some of the contents of protected internal memory 102 inan embodiment of the present invention, and also shows how thesecontents may relate to the contents of external memory 105. It isimportant to note that space in protected internal memory 102, andparticularly non-volatile memory 142, may be limited. However, secret orother critical information used by SPU 100 can be stored in externalmemory 105, provided that it is protected (where appropriate) bycryptographic protection process 520 to ensure secrecy (by encryption)and/or integrity (by message integrity codes, cryptographic checksums,digital signatures, or the like). As indicated previously, externalmemory 105 may, for example, consist of non-volatile RAM (e.g., flashmemory, ferroelectric RAM, EEPROM, battery-backed SRAM or DRAM),rotating mass media, or other read-write storage. As long as SPU 100contains the necessary keys to decrypt and/or validate such externallystored information, external memory 105 can be viewed as an extension ofprotected internal memory for long-term storage purposes.

Loader 206 is preferably available when SPU 100 is reset (e.g., after apower-on, a resume operation from a power-down mode, or a user-initiatedreset), and thus loader 206 should be stored in secure read-only memory141 or secure non-volatile memory 142.

If loader 206 is stored in secure read-only memory 141, it willpreferably not contain secret information, since that information mightbe accessible to other software that is executed before initializer 205has run (for example, if SPU 100 includes test or compatibility modesthat allow such software to be run). Storing loader 206 or othersoftware modules in internal ROM 141 has the advantage of consuming muchless silicon area than would be the case if internal non-volatile memory142 were used, since ROM cells are typically significantly smaller thanRAM cells. This reduces the overall cost of SPU 100 and makes moreinternal non-volatile memory 142 available for other purposes. Even so,a small amount of internal non-volatile memory 142 is preferably used tostore secret values on which loader 206 or other software modules storedin ROM 141 are dependent (e.g., to use such secret values forcryptographic validation of other components being loaded). Adisadvantage of storing software modules in internal ROM 141 is that themodules generally cannot be easily modified, repaired, patched, orsuperseded in the field, except in ways that involve taking the changedmodules/functions out of internal ROM 141 and moving them to internalnon-volatile memory 142.

Referring once again to FIG. 11, in a preferred embodiment SPU 100holds, in internal memory 102 or equivalent registers, at least onesecret key 502 that is unique to each instance of SPU 100 and notgenerally known to other parties. Secret key 502 may be generated insideSPU 100 by initializer software 205, or may be generated by factorysoftware 204 and delivered to SPU 100. Because SPU 100 may needdifferent keys for different purposes, it may contain multiple distinctsecret keys 502 a-502 z, or it may generate other secret keys 502 a-502z by a fixed cryptographic transform of base secret key 502 (e.g., atransform such as a hash function or a pseudo-random sequencegenerator). Alternatively, or in addition, SPU 100 may generate pluralsecret keys 502 a-502 z as required, and store them in external memory105 under the protection of base secret key 502 as protectedrepresentations 512 a-512 z.

In addition to secret key 502, in one embodiment SPU 100 has a publiclyavailable (non-secret) device ID value 503 that is different for eachinstance of SPU 100. Device ID 503 may be stored in protected internalmemory 102 and/or may be stored in external memory 105 under theprotection (for integrity purposes) of some secret key 502 x asprotected representation 513.

It is also desirable for SPU 100 to have at least one asymmetric keypair consisting of private key 505 a and public key 505 b that areunique to each SPU instance. Asymmetric keys 505 a and 505 b may bestored in protected internal memory 102 and/or in external memory 105under the protection of some secret key 502 x as protectedrepresentations 515 a and 515 b.

As shown in FIG. 11, it is desirable for SPU 100 to have at least onecryptographic certificate 506 attesting to the binding of device ID 503and public key 505 b. Such a certificate will typically include asignature 507 produced by a signing authority, and a correspondingsigning authority ID 508. Certificate 506 may be stored in protectedinternal memory 102 and/or in external memory 105 under the protectionof some secret key 502 x as protected representation 516.

In addition, SPU 100 may contain one or more validation keys 509, usedto validate digital signatures and/or message authentication codes ofdata supplied externally. If validation key 509 is an asymmetric key,SPU 100 need only have the public (validation) part of the key pair.Validation keys 509 may be part of a conventional certificate-baseddigital signature authentication scheme, in which case SPU 100 wouldgenerally need direct access only to the root key or keys of eachcertificate hierarchy.

5.2.2. Permanent Memory Contents

Some information may be permanently stored in internal read-only memory141 of SPU 100, and established as part of the manufacturing process. Ina preferred embodiment, only information whose secrecy is generallyunimportant to system security is initialized in this manner. Suchinformation may include device ID 503, public key 505 b, certificate506, and/or validation keys 509. As previously indicated, suchinformation may also include software such as loader 206, and softwarecomponents such as runtime libraries.

5.2.3. Factory Software Operation

As previously described in connection with FIG. 16, factory software 204may deliver information to, and receive information from, SPU 100 bydirect memory access over external bus 104, by communication withinitializer 205, by access through factory test facilities, and/or byother appropriate means. For example, in one embodiment factory software204 digitally signs monitor 203 and/or other software modules, such thatSPU 100 can validate monitor 203 and/or these other software modulesusing a validation key 509 (which may also be generated and supplied byfactory software 204). Similarly, factory software 204 may generatesecret key 502 and/or public/private keys 505 b and 505 a, and deliverthem to SPU 100; however, in a preferred embodiment these keys aregenerated inside SPU 100 (e.g., by initializer software 205), and publickey 505 b is then delivered from SPU 100 to factory software 204 forgeneration of certificate 506, certificate 506 then being sent back fromfactory software 204 to SPU 100. Factory software 204 may also generatedevice ID 503 and deliver it to SPU 100, factory software 204 keeping arecord of all assigned device IDs 503 for tracking purposes and to avoidduplicates. In addition, factory software 204 may set the value ofreal-time clock 120, and may load initializer software 205, loadersoftware 206, and/or other software modules into internal memory 102.

5.2.4. Initializer Software Operation

In a preferred embodiment, before creating or receiving secretinformation inside SPU 100, initializer software 205 sets secure flag501 and other appropriate processor security registers (e.g., erasurecontrol register 402) to indicate that arbitrary software may accessinternal memory 102 only as appropriate. Initializer 205 may alsoinitialize various internal values in processor 101, memory managementunit 131, and processor security registers 132 in order to establishsecure operation.

Initializer software 205 may also perform a variety of other functions.For example, initializer software 205 may be responsible for, e.g.,storing critical data in internal memory 102 and/or applyingcryptographic protection 520 to data and storing these protected data inexternal memory 105. Initializer 205 also preferably generates secretkey 502 and stores it internally, and generates additional secret keys502 a-502 z as required. (As indicated above, initializer 205 mayalternatively receive key 502 and/or other keys 505 a, 505 b, 509 fromfactory software 204). Initializer software 205 also preferablygenerates public and private keys 505 b and 505 a, and delivers publickey 505 b to factory software 204 for generation of certificate 506.Initializer software 205 may also receive device ID 503 from factorysoftware 204, and may receive the current time from factory software 204and set the value of real-time clock 120. Initializer software 205 mayload loader software 206, monitor software 203, and/or other softwaremodules into internal non-volatile memory 142. Alternatively, or inaddition, initializer software 205 may store monitor software 203 and/orother software modules in external memory 105 using cryptographicprotection software/hardware 520. In other embodiments the initiallyloaded software may encompass both the functions of initializer software205 and loader software 206. Once secure initialization has beencompleted, initializer software 205 may delete itself from internalmemory 102 to make space available for other uses.

5.2.5. Loader Software Operation

As described above, loader software 206 is preferably operable to loadsoftware modules into SPU 100 over external bus 104. The softwaremodules may, for example, be supplied by factory software 204 or byaccess to external memory 105. Loader software 206 may also decrypt suchmodules using an internal key 502 or a key delivered with the module,the delivered key being, e.g., encrypted using public key 505 b andrecoverable using private key 505 a. Similarly, loader software 206 mayalso, or alternatively, validate message authentication codes onincoming modules using an internal key 502 or keys delivered with themodules (and encrypted using, e.g., public key 505 b). Likewise, loadersoftware 206 may validate digital signatures on incoming softwaremodules using validation keys 509 or keys carried in certificates thatcan ultimately be validated with such validation keys. In addition,loader software 206 may automatically reload and validate certainsoftware modules—such as monitor 203—when tampering is detected or whena reset operation is performed.

5.2.6. Alternative Runtime Loader Operation

In the SPU manufacturing and initialization process, it will generallybe desirable to maintain an unbroken chain of custody over the SPU 100from the time it is manufactured until the time it contains its uniqueinternal key(s) 502, which are stored in battery-backed internal memory142 and are not visible outside the device. Such a manufacturing andinitialization process may also initialize unique device ID 503,certificate 506, and other unique values.

If an unbroken chain of custody is maintained, a fraudulent devicecannot be easily substituted for SPU 100 until after the internalsecrets are initialized, at which point a fraudulent device wouldtypically be unable to impersonate a real device effectively, since itwould not obtain the secret values held in the internal-memory of thereal device. Such an unbroken chain of custody can be costly, however,as it will typically require the manufacturing process to guaranteebattery or other power to SPU 100 indefinitely, beginning at a pointbefore the SPU leaves the trusted factory. This can be particularlyinconvenient when SPU 100 is manufactured as a commodity part forinstallation into arbitrary appliances. Another problem is that SPU 100,if securely initialized by a trusted facility but manufactured as acommodity part, will typically have no external memory in which to storecryptographically protected data. Thus, it would be less costly overallif SPU 100 could be initialized in the field, after it has beeninstalled in an information appliance.

A drawback with field initialization, however, is that fraudulentdevices could be substituted during the initialization process, thusenabling the creation of clone devices, the uncontrolled release ofinternal keys, or other undesirable situations. For example, it ispossible to use a cryptographic protocol (e.g., station-to-station) toauthenticate the device and the initialization agent, and to establish ashared secret for two parties to communicate. At first glance, such aprotocol could allow initializer software, resident in internal ROM 141,to load modules securely, generate secrets, and otherwise initialize thevariable state kept in internal non-volatile memory 142. This would bevery convenient, as the initialization step could be carried out afteran appliance has been manufactured, or even once it is in the hands ofthe end-user. The problem is that such protocols rely on the informationstored in the SPU's internal static read-only memory 141. Although it isfeasible to protect internal non-volatile memory 142 against extremelysophisticated attacks by, e.g., requiring continuous power and erasingmemory 142 at the first hint of tampering, the same is generally notpractical for read-only memory 141. Because memory 141 is static, it canbe read while SPU 100 is not connected to a power supply and is beingsubjected to the full armamentarium of sophisticated VLSI analysis andtesting tools (e.g., microprobes, e-beam imaging, thermal microscopy,etc.). Thus, it may be unrealistic to expect information inside ROM 141of SPU 100 to remain secret in the face of a sophisticated, well-fundedattack.

Indeed, unless use is made of mechanisms such as the internal ROMrestriction mechanism described below in connection with FIGS. 13, 14,and 15, information in internal ROM 141 can often be simply read byuntrusted software. Because SPU 100 is defined to act as an ordinarymicrocontroller when security functions are not enabled, software can beloaded that copies the entire contents of internal ROM 142 to externalmemory, where it can be used to construct a simulation. Moreover, evenif internal ROM 142 is protected from external software use by a ROMrestriction mechanism, its contents might still be obtainable byphysical means, as described above.

Thus, if an adversary can read the contents of internal ROM 141, andunderstand the operation of all the parts of SPU 100, he might be ableto construct an accurate simulation of SPU 100, which could then notonly participate in secure protocols, but could also be requested laterto disgorge its secrets (or otherwise behave undesirably). In anend-user field initialization scenario, such an attack could beundetectable. In such a case, the secure chain of custody would end atthe factory, and not be reestablished.

If the initialization takes place in a secure facility, but after beinghandled outside a secure chain of custody, the situation is better, butstill less secure than factory initialization. In order to mount anattack, an adversary would typically have to construct a modified orsubstitute version of SPU 100 that is indistinguishable from a genuineSPU (visually or otherwise, for whatever tests the field initializationfacility uses), but behaves differently in some malicious way. Forexample, a genuine SPU 100 could be extracted from its VLSI package,modified by an electron beam writing workstation so that its addressdecoding logic permits secure internal non-volatile memory 142 to beaccessed without restriction, and then placed back in its package (or anew facsimile thereof). Such an SPU might be visually indistinguishablefrom a genuine SPU, and might successfully complete the initializationprotocol, but would be inherently insecure and pose severe risk to theoverall system of which it is a part.

Depending on the security requirements of the overall system, aninitialization model with an interrupted or terminated chain of custodymay represent an acceptable tradeoff between security and cost. Theinitialization mechanisms described above can be split at a variety ofpoints (particularly, between manufacture and initialization) toimplement such a tradeoff.

5.2.7. Alternative Unique Device Initialization

In addition to the process described in connection with FIGS. 16 and 17,it is possible to fabricate SPU 100 to include internal ROM 141 that isone-time programmable, erasable, flash, or other non-volatile memorythat does not require battery power. In such implementations, internalROM 141 can be initialized securely with unique values at the factory,and SPU 100 can then be distributed without power and the attendantcosts and inconveniences of maintaining continuous power. It is alsopossible to use laser programming or other techniques to modify specificmemory cells in each SPU, as part of the final manufacturing process, toachieve the same uniqueness.

This per-device uniqueness (established during manufacturing)substantially reduces the cost of post-manufacturing custody, butintroduces the risk that specific instances of SPU 100 can be duplicatedand/or simulated, posing a similar overall risk to system security asthat described above. The risk differs with per-device uniqueness inthat only a specific instance (or instances) of SPU 100 can becompromised, as opposed to all instances (which would be true if thesecret information were the same for all manufactured components). Ifdevices have unique IDs established in non-powered memory duringmanufacture, it is not necessary to load such IDs during a subsequentpersonalization process.

In a preferred embodiment, the unique values placed in SPU 100 by thesesteps are both secret and difficult to forge. A small sequential serialnumber is generally not helpful, because it is neither secret nor hardto guess. Thus, sparse space or other suitable encoding techniques arepreferably used.

EEPROM and flash memory, in particular, are more difficult to read outby physical analysis techniques, and thus a combination of suchuniqueness and protection against reading by unauthorized software maybe an effective trade-off between manufacturing cost and security inmany situations. However, the additional VLSI manufacturing processsteps that are typically needed to fabricate such memories, and/or thepost-manufacturing laser personalization step, can add considerably tothe SPU's fabrication cost.

FIGS. 18A and 18B illustrates the process of manufacturing andinitializing an SPU 100 in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention. Referring to FIG. 18A, manufacturing software 660 generates aunique public/private key pair 661A/661B for the particular SPU 100being manufactured, along with a device ID 503, and generatesmanufacturing certificate 662 to establish the binding between ID 503and public key 661A (block 1 of FIG. 18A). Unique private signing key661B and device ID 503 are installed in a region of restricted ROM 648that is accessible only to authorized programs (block 2 of FIG. 18A),and the manufacturing process is concluded.

SPU 100 is then delivered (possibly in an insecure manner) to anappliance manufacturer, along with manufacturing certificate 662 (insome machine-readable form), and SPU 100 is installed in an informationappliance such as a music player, personal computer, set-top box,handheld computing device, or the like. As shown in FIG. 18B,manufacturing certificate 662 is installed in the insecure non-volatileexternal memory 105 of the appliance (block 1). The appliance is thendelivered to the end-user (typically in an insecure manner), at whichpoint it is connected (e.g., by the Internet) to factory initializationagent software 204 (block 2 of FIG. 18B). Factory software 204 deliversinitialization software 205 and corresponding proof of authorization 520(e.g., an indication of permission digitally signed by the factory) tothe appliance. Proof 520 grants access to a region of restricted ROM 648containing the factory secret. This process, and other initializationactivities, are represented by block 3 of FIG. 18B, and are shown indetail in FIGS. 16 and 17.

As shown in FIG. 18B, the appliance then instructs SPU 100 to runinitialization software 205. SPU 100 validates software 205 usingvalidation process 632 and begins executing it (if successful).Initialization software 205 obtains signing key 661B from a region inrestricted ROM 648 and uses a security protocol (e.g., astation-to-station protocol employing Diffie-Hellman key agreement anddigital signatures) to establish a secure channel with factory software204.

Factory software 204 and initialization software 205 performinitialization steps such as generating secret key(s) 502, storingloader software 206, monitor 203, or other software into SPU 100'snon-volatile internal memory 142, and performing other initializationsteps as described above. Initialization software 205 may also storecryptographically protected data in external memory 105 as previouslydescribed. Finally, the appliance terminates the secure channel withfactory software 204 (block 4 of FIG. 18B).

At this point, SPU 100 is initialized in the same manner as if it hadbeen initialized at the manufacturing factory. The risk in this approachis that an adversary can create clones of SPU 100 that disclose secretsor otherwise misbehave. However, exploiting this vulnerability willtypically require physical analysis, not merely a software attack,because of the internal ROM protection employed in block 2. Moreover,only a single SPU's secrets would be disclosed if one such attack weresuccessful, since creating a fraudulent SPU with a different device ID503 would necessitate the generation of a corresponding certificate 662,which could be done only with the signing keys held by the securemanufacturing software 660.

It should be appreciated that while the process outlined here introducesa separate manufacturing certificate 662 and signing key 661B, distinctfrom device key(s) 502, that separation is not a requirement, althoughit does improve the overall security of the system by ensuring that thespecific device keys are only stored and generated once the devices havebeen initialized by interaction with an on-line service (e.g., factoryinitialization agent software 204). Moreover, such a service can engagein other activities (e.g., information collection) that further deter orreduce fraud, such as monitoring patterns of activity or transactionsfor suspicious indicators.

6. Restricting Access to Internal ROM Functions

In order to satisfy export requirements that limit access tocryptographic functions, to restrict access to software implementingvaluable trade secrets, to support a relatively secure fieldinitialization function, and/or to control software use for otherreasons, an SPU can provide implementations of protected, critical,restricted, or controlled functions wherein a caller must demonstrateauthorization before the protected functions can be executedsuccessfully. If the authorization is not demonstrated, the callingsoftware's attempt to invoke the protected functions will fail.

To perform such validation securely inside SPU 100, the validationfunction should be performed in a manner that prevents it from beinginterfered with, or simulated by, unauthorized software running on SPU100, including software that has access to other parts of the securestate. For this reason, in a preferred embodiment a hardware-assistedmechanism is used.

As shown in FIG. 13, in one embodiment internal secure ROM 141 can bedivided into three areas:

1. Generally accessible ROM 647, which is always accessible to CPUinstructions.

2. Restricted ROM 648, which is accessible to CPU instructions only whenspecifically enabled by configuration register 645.

3. Validation ROM 641, which is accessible to CPU instructions only whenperforming access validation checks, and which is controlled byconfiguration register 645 and counters 642 and 643.

Division of internal ROM 141 into these areas (and the correspondingmappings to control registers) is preferably a fixed process, determinedat the time the chip is fabricated; because the contents of the ROM areunchangeable, there will generally not be a reason to make theconfiguration changeable.

6.1. Validation Data

One technique for demonstrating authorization is for calling software631 to present a proof of authorization 620 consisting of the followingcomponents, as shown in FIG. 14:

-   -   Proof value 621    -   Digital signature 622 for proof value 621    -   Caller validation key 623A used to validate signature 622    -   Authorization rules 624 describing the permitted operations    -   Certificate 625 comprising a digital signature that binds        together public key 623A and rules 624, and is signed by root        signature key 626B.

In a preferred embodiment, root validation key 626A, the public half ofan asymmetric key pair also including root signature key 626B, isembedded in the validation software. Root signature key 626 b ispreferably held only at the secure location of the validation authority.There may be one root key pair 626 that is common to all instances ofSPU 100, or there may be several used in various sets of SPU instances.Different root key pairs 626 may use different algorithms, and may beused in parallel such that the multiple certificates 625 must bevalidated using multiple validation keys 626A. Diversity of keys and/oralgorithms reduces risk in the event any particular key and/or algorithmis compromised.

Caller validation key 623A and its counterpart, caller signature key623B, are typically unique to a particular instance, issuer, or owner ofcalling software 631. Similarly to root keys 626, plural keys and/oralgorithms may be employed.

Validation of signature 622 is used to determine the caller's subsequentauthorization for operations. FIG. 15 shows one possible embodiment forvalidation process 632. As shown in FIG. 15, calling software 631 storescomponents of proof 620 in certain hardware registers (blocks 1-3), thenissues a command (e.g., a CPU instruction or reference to a controlregister) requesting validation hardware or software to analyze thesupplied proof 620 and to set access accordingly (blocks 4-5). Becausethe validation process for a digital signature is relatively complex, itwill typically be more practical to implement it in software rather thanin hardware, although it will be appreciated that any suitableimplementation could be used.

It will be understood that signing process 629 and its correspondingvalidation process may involve both digital signatures and cryptographichashing, as well as other cryptographic techniques appropriate to anasymmetric two-key authentication process. In a preferred embodiment anasymmetric process is used to ensure that an adversary cannot readilyforge new values of authorization data 624.

Proof value 621 may be randomly generated by calling software 631, maybe constant and embedded in calling software 631, or may be generated byvalidation process software 633 (or some related component) to be signedby calling software 631. It may also be derived from a checksum (orcryptographic hash) of calling software 631. In cases where proof value621 is not dynamically generated, it is not necessary for callingsoftware 631 to contain signing key 623 b, which effectively prevents anadversary who obtains software 631 from forging signature 622.

6.2. Validation Process Overview

In a preferred embodiment validation process 632 is performed usingsoftware executing on the main CPU, with hardware assistance to protectthe validation mechanism (e.g., performed by validation process software633) as it is operating. While an illustrative embodiment describedherein is based on the ARM7 processor architecture, it will beappreciated that most other processor architectures are readily amenableto a similar implementation.

A more detailed description of validation process 632 will now beprovided with reference to FIG. 15. Referring to FIG. 15, callingsoftware 631 transfers control to the fust word 649 of validationprocess software 633 (in validation ROM region 641), which is initiallythe only accessible location in region 641 (block 1 of FIG. 15). Asshown in FIGS. 13 and 15, the hardware makes a small additional entryregion 644 of region 641 accessible, and the instructions in that regiondisable cache and otherwise initialize the environment to be immune toexternal interference (block 2 of FIG. 15). After initializing theenvironment, software 633 changes validation register 645 to enableunconstrained access to all of region 641 (block 3 of FIG. 15).

Next, validation process 632 is performed to validate the digitalsignatures in proof 620 (block 4 of FIG. 15). If the signatures arevalid, the results are applied to other ROM configuration registers 646as appropriate (block 5 of FIG. 15). Finally, validation register 645 isreset to restore access controls to ROM region 641 to their defaultstate (block 6 of FIG. 15).

Thus, the process described above effectively prevents use of validationprocess software 633 except for the purpose of validating authorizations(which is advantageous since it is a cryptographic mechanism andpotentially subject to export controls). This process can be implementedentirely in logic in SPU 100 that manages internal secure ROM 141,without change to or effect on processor 101 or other internalcomponents. A similar approach could also be implemented more directlyunder CPU control, although such an approach may complicate the designsomewhat and make it more difficult to provide assurance of correctimplementation.

6.3. Operation of Validation Process

In a preferred embodiment, executable code (that is, validation processsoftware 633) for validation process 632 resides in validation ROMregion 641 in internal secure read-only memory 141. Region 641 canrespond to accesses in various ways, controlled by validationconfiguration register 645 and counters 642 and 643, as illustrated inFIG. 13. In its default state, region 641 is configured so that it isaccessible only if the following conditions apply:

-   -   Processor 101 is operating in supervisor state.    -   Processor 101 is not accepting interrupts.    -   The access to validation ROM region 641 is an instruction fetch        of first word 649 in the region.

If these conditions do not apply, accesses to region 641 fail (e.g., byreturning zeros or signaling an exception).

When this initial state is detected (i.e., when an instruction isfetched from the first word of region 641), access counter 642 isinitialized to a fixed value (e.g., 20), sequence counter 643 isinitialized to one, and the configuration for region 641 is changedautomatically so that the following rules apply:

-   -   Processor 101 is operating in supervisor state.    -   Processor 101 is not accepting interrupts.    -   All accesses to ROM region 641 are instruction fetches in entry        region 644 (which represents a fixed-size region at the        beginning of region 641, such as 16 words).    -   Access counter 642 is non-zero.

Each access to region 641 decrements access counter 642. Access counter642 stops decrementing when it reaches zero. If counter 642 reaches zeroin this state, access to validation ROM region 641 is reset to thedefault state.

Each instruction fetch from region 641 increments sequence counter 643.Sequence counter 643 stops incrementing when it reaches a fixed value(e.g., 8). Instruction fetches to memory outside region 641 resetsequence counter 643 to zero.

A third state for region 641 can be established by explicitly settingvalidation register 645. This state permits access if the followingconditions apply:

-   -   Processor 101 is operating in supervisor state.    -   Processor 101 is not accepting interrupts.    -   Accesses for data or instructions are made to any location in        validation ROM region 641.

Once in this state, access counter 642 is no longer updated and does notaffect memory access. The purpose of counter 642 is to ensure that thisstate is established promptly, and to guard against errors that mightcause it to be entered invalidly.

Writes to validation registers 645 and ROM configuration register 646that grant access are preferably permitted only when sequence counter643 is at its maximum value, indicating that a sequence of that manyinstructions has been sequentially fetched from within region 641 andthus that the entry into the protected operating mode has completedsuccessfully. In this manner, sequence counter 643 ensures that theappropriate validation process software 633 is manipulating theauthorization mechanisms.

In one preferred embodiment, validation software 633 starts by disablingcache so that all subsequent instruction fetches take place explicitlyover internal bus 109. This permits access counter 642 and sequencecounter 643 to keep track of such accesses. Software 633 may also forceother processor states to known values in order to prevent interference;it does not, however, need to disable memory management unit 131, sinceall of region 641 is either defined to be in a single page, or is forcedto be in a sequence of correctly mapped pages (a test that can beperformed by instructions in the first page).

In an alternative embodiment, entry code in region 644 could also beresponsible for ensuring that processor 101 is in supervisor stateand/or has interrupts disabled. Similarly, a hardware mechanism couldenforce disabling cache and other state changes. These embodiments maybe chosen based on the specific hardware characteristics of processor100.

Once entry is validated and validation register 645 is initialized toallow all of validation process software 633 to be accessible and tofunction, the software locates the caller-supplied authorization proof620 (in caller-owned memory) and validate the digital signature incertificate 625 for validation key 623A, using root key 626A (or keys,as discussed above) embedded in validation process software 633.Validation process software 633 then validates digital signature 622using validation key 623A. Next, validation process software 633 setsROM configuration registers 646 in accordance with the authorizationrules 624 specified in certificate 625, and sets validation register 645to restore access controls for ROM region 641 to their default state.Validation process software then returns status and control to thecalling software.

Block 5 of FIG. 15 places validation ROM region 641 temporarily into afourth access control state, such that access is unrestricted, but whensequence counter 643 is reset to zero (by an instruction fetch outsideregion 641), access restrictions are reset to the default state in whichonly the first word is accessible. To summarize, access to memory region641 may be in one of four states:

-   -   Default: instruction fetch access is permitted to first word 649        of region 641 only.    -   Entry: instruction and data fetch is permitted to entry region        644 (e.g., first 16 words).    -   General: accesses (instruction and data) are permitted        throughout all of region 641.    -   Terminal: accesses are permitted throughout all of region 641        until any instruction fetch occurs outside region 641, at which        point access is reset to default state.

6.4. Result of Validation Process

Typically, validation process 632 is intended to enable access to otherfunctions implemented in internal secure ROM 141, by specifyingprotections that apply to certain regions of physical addresses,specifically those in restricted ROM 648.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 13, for example, ROM configurationregisters 646 control access to physical memory regions in internal ROM141. For example, each bit in configuration register 646 could enable ordisable access to a single small region (e.g., 256 bytes, 1024 bytes,etc.) within restricted ROM 648 according to a fixed map between the ROMaddresses and the register bits. Alternatively, multiple bits inconfiguration register 646 could independently enable access for user,supervisor, or other processor modes. Other implementations of ROMconfiguration register(s) 646 could control access based on base/boundprotections, segmentation, or internal processor registers.

Although the foregoing invention has been described in some detail forpurposes of clarity, it will be apparent that certain changes andmodifications may be practiced within the scope of the appended claims.Accordingly, the present embodiments are to be considered asillustrative and not restrictive, and the invention is not to be limitedto the details given herein, but may be modified within the scope andequivalents of the appended claims.

1. A secure processing unit, the secure processing unit including: an internal memory unit; a processor including a memory management unit and a plurality of security registers, the memory management unit further including a level-one page table, the level-one page table including a plurality of level-one page table entries, wherein the level-one page table entries each correspond to at least one level-two page table, and wherein the level-one page table entries each contain a predefined attribute, the predefined attribute being operable to indicate to the memory management unit whether entries in a corresponding level-two page table may designate certain predefined memory regions; tamper detection and response logic; an interface to external systems or components; one or more buses for connecting the internal memory unit, the processor, the tamper detection and response logic, and the interface to external systems and components; and a tamper-resistant housing.
 2. A secure processing unit as in claim 1, in which the internal memory unit includes: secure random access memory; secure non-volatile memory; secure read-only memory.
 3. A secure processing unit as in claim 2, in which the secure non-volatile memory is powered by a battery.
 4. A secure processing unit as in claim 3, in which the secure non-volatile memory contains at least one cryptographic key.
 5. A secure processing unit as in claim 4, in which the internal memory unit includes: a unique identifier for the secure processing unit; a private cryptographic key, a public cryptographic key; and a cryptographic certificate linking the unique identifier and the public cryptographic key.
 6. A secure processing unit as in claim 1, including: access control data, the access control data being operable to indicate whether access to predefined memory regions is restricted to certain software components or processor modes.
 7. A secure processing unit as in claim 6, in which the access control data are stored in a critical address register, the critical address register comprising one of the processor security registers.
 8. A secure processing unit as in claim 1, whereby level-two page tables that may not designate the predefined memory regions are not stored in the internal memory unit.
 9. An information appliance, the information appliance comprising: a memory unit; a secure processing unit, the secure processing unit including: a tamper resistant packaging; tamper detection and response logic; a secure memory unit; a processing unit, including a memory management unit and a plurality of processor security registers, the memory management unit further including a level-one page table and a plurality of level-two page tables, the level-one page table including a plurality of level-one page table entries and the level-two page table including a plurality of level-two page table entries, wherein the level-one page table entries each correspond to at least one level-two page table, and wherein the level-one page table entries each contain a predefined attribute, the predefined attribute beingoperable to indicate to the memory management unit whether a corresponding level-two page table may designate certain predefined memory regions; and, a bus for connecting the memory unit and the secure processing unit; wherein the secure processing unit is operable to perform both secure processing operations and at least some processing operations performed by a conventional information appliance processing unit.
 10. An information appliance as in claim 9, in which the information appliance is selected from the group comprising: a television set-top box, a portable audio player, a portable video player, a cellular telephone, a personal computer, and a workstation.
 11. An information appliance as in claim 9, in which the secure processing unit is the information appliance's primary processing unit.
 12. An information appliance as in claim 9, in which the secure processing unit is the information appliance's only processing unit.
 13. An information appliance as in claim 9, in which the secure processing unit includes: a critical address register, the critical address register containing a plurality of access control bits, the access control bits being operable to indicate whether access to associated memory regions is restricted to predefined software components or processor modes.
 14. An information appliance as in claim 13, in which the critical address register comprises one of the processor security registers.
 15. An information appliance as in claim 9, in which level-two page tables that may not designate the predefined memory regions are stored in the memory unit, and wherein the level-one page table and the level-two page tables that may designate the predefined memory regions are stored in the secure memory unit.
 16. In a system including a secure processing unit, the secure processing unit comprising an internal memory unit and a processor, and the processor including a memory management unit and a plurality of processor security registers, the memory management unit further including a level-one page table and a plurality of level-two page tables, the level-one page table including a plurality of level-one page table entries and the level-two page table including a plurality of level-two page table entries, wherein the level-one page table entries each correspond to at least one level-two page table, and wherein the level-one page table entries each contain a predefined attribute, the predefined attribute being operable to indicate to the memory management unit whether a corresponding level-two page table may designate certain predefined memory regions, a method for controlling access to the internal memory unit, the method comprising: (a) obtaining a request to access a portion of memory in the internal memory unit; (b) checking critical address protection data stored in at least one of said processor security registers to determine whether the portion of memory is subject to critical access protection; and (c) granting the request if the portion of memory is not subject to critical access protection.
 17. A method as in claim 16, further including: (b)(1) determining whether the processor is operating in a predefined mode; and (c)(1) granting the request if the processor is operating in the predefined mode.
 18. A method as in claim 17, in which the predefined mode is a supervisor mode. 